DISTRIBUTION OF THE WORK 21 



within the power of all to compass, and we ourselves have 

 certain and evident demonstrations of their utility. We 

 come not hither, as augurs, to measure out regions in our 

 mind by divination, but like generals, to invade them for 

 conquest. And this is the first part of the work. 



When we have gone through the ancient arts, we shall 

 prepare the human understanding for pressing on beyond 

 them. The second object of the work embraces the doc 

 trine of a more perfect use of reason, and the true helps of 

 the intellectual faculties, so as to raise and enlarge the 

 powers of the mind ; and, as far as the condition of human 

 ity allows, to fit it to conquer the difficulties and obscurities 

 of nature. The thing we mean, is a kind of logic, by us 

 called The Art of interpreting Nature; as differing widely 

 from the common logic, which, however, pretends to assist 

 and direct the understanding, and in that they agree: but the 

 difference between them consists in three things, viz., the end, 

 the order of demonstrating, and the grounds of inquiry. 



The end of our new logic is to find, not arguments, but 

 arts; not what agrees with principles, but principles them 

 selves: not probable reasons, but plans and designs of 

 works a different intention producing a different effect. 

 In one the adversary is conquered by dispute, and in the 

 other nature by works. The nature and order of the dem 

 onstrations agree with this object. For in common logic, 

 almost our whole labor is spent upon the syllogism. Logi 

 cians hitherto appear scarcely to have noticed induction, 

 passing it over with some slight comment. But we reject 

 the syllogistic method as being too confused, and allowing 

 nature to escape out of our hands. For though nobody can 

 doubt that those things which agree with the middle term 

 agree with each other, nevertheless, there is this source of 

 error, that a syllogism consists of propositions, propositions 

 of words, and words are but the tokens and signs of things. 

 Now, if the first notions, which are, as it were, the soul 

 of words, and the basis of every philosophical fabric, are 

 hastily abstracted from things, and vague and not clearly 



